


Once is Never Enough

by AFey



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-01 09:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13995756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AFey/pseuds/AFey
Summary: The first time is not necessarily the sweetest or most memorable.(Happier than it sounds)





	Once is Never Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)

There’s nothing sweet about the first time they kiss.

Their bodies are draped in the finest couture, the elevator is of the five-star variety, and they’re a long way from home. As soon as the doors close, Andy pushes her boss against the wall and her hands grasp Miranda’s head with no consideration given to tenderness. Their lips and tongues find another way to continue the battle recently waged in the back of a town car. When they break apart, their breathing is erratic and out of sync, and neither woman emerges victorious. Once the doors open, they walk towards their hotel rooms in silence and part company for the night. Both women crave more, but it will be years before either of them admit it. A month later, Andy leaves _Runway_ with a recommendation in hand and the rest of her life ahead of her.

The second time they kiss, it’s both formal and one-sided.

Two years have passed and they cross paths at some boring charity event. Miranda, looking elegant in Valentino, places a brief kiss on Andy’s cheek. Like the delicate touch of a butterfly’s wings and then she pulls away, plastering on her usual business smile. Only the slightest shade of pink on her cheeks reveals the kiss means anything at all. Andy, shaken and intrigued by the revelation, resists the temptation to respond with a greeting more befitting of her own feelings. They make small talk for the requisite amount of time before Andy takes her leave, fighting every impulse she has to flee the building. For the twenty minutes that Miranda remains, Andy watches her from the other side of the room and barely manages to fake an interest in the conversation that swirls around her.

The third time they kiss is on a day marked with pain.

Of all the places in New York, Andy stumbles into the Priestly clan at Baskin Robbins. It’s a sunny day in spring but the beauty of the season is no match for the tears that fall discreetly down identical faces and those that shimmer in older eyes of blue. Before long she knows the reason for their sadness. Patricia, a beloved member of the family, being released from the prison of her failing body. While the girls are distracted by the therapeutic magic of ice cream, she takes Miranda’s hand and places a gentle kiss on her palm. At the quirk of an eyebrow and the twitch of a lip, she leans over and kisses Miranda’s forehead. Phone numbers are exchanged and promises are made.

The fourth time they kiss, Andy curses herself for having waited so long.

It’s the end of their first official date, though Miranda refuses to use such a word. Dinner at a place where name dropping has the expected response and the meals all reflect someone’s “culinary journey”. Her mind absorbed with what it might be like to taste Miranda, she cannot attest to the quality of the food. On the steps outside the townhouse, she can verify that Miranda tastes even better than she imagined, and without a doubt, is more delicious than any other dessert on offer that night. She somehow resists the invitation to stay over for the night, but follows up their fifth kiss with the promise of ‘next time’.

The first time they kiss as a married couple they’re surrounded by family and friends.

They stand in the grounds of their townhouse, the number of guests is fairly small and definitely select, and the love and affection can barely be contained. It’s a kiss that starts tenderly and ends just before the crowd starts to wonder if voyeurism is suddenly on trend. When they break apart, Andy looks flushed and proud, and Miranda looks dazed and just the slightest bit embarrassed. When she leans forward and whispers in Andy’s ear, no one hears the resulting gasp, but almost everyone sees the brilliant smile that follows a second later. That night, alone in their home, Miranda delivers on her threat and Andy is ecstatic.

The first time they kiss as grandparents they’re alone, watching over Cassidy’s daughter.

Tears well in Andy’s eyes, a testament to both joy and pain. A comforting squeeze of Miranda’s hand prompts her to make eye contact and in doing so, she’s confronted with a mirror image. For Andy, the pain of being denied the privilege of carrying a child of her own, is matched by Miranda’s agony knowing that all her money could never make her wife’s dream come true. Their lips meet, seeking comfort from the sorrow. When they pull apart, they look down at their granddaughter and joy emerges the victor.

On nights when sleep proves elusive, and their bodies are too tired to create new memories, they reminisce about kisses past.

Andy is the one who remembers occasions and tastes. Miranda, on the morning of her 60th birthday, the taste of coffee and maple syrup. A retirement party three years later, small and slightly subdued, the taste of scotch and bitter chocolate. Miranda for her part, recalls events and fashion. A _Runway_ gala saved from tedium by a vision in red Chanel and a discreet kiss on an empty balcony. An awards dinner marked forever in her mind by a kiss on her cheek, and the feel of ivory silk panties as they were placed in her hand moments before the town car arrived at its destination.

The idea of a final kiss is a reality neither of them will entertain.

They are responsible people so of course they plan for the future, always aware that there is no such thing as forever. Practicality is a quality they both embrace, so estate planning and funeral details are discussed with as little emotion as possible. They even discuss medical options and what that will mean when the end is in sight. But they never discuss the intricacies of the final goodbye. Last kisses are inevitable, but they have no place in the here and now.

**Author's Note:**

> You would not believe the battle I waged to have this story not end with their final kiss. I’ve killed Miranda off once, I couldn’t do it again.


End file.
